Match-scratcher.



No. 862,001. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907. T. R. MILLIGAN & W. M. THOM.

MATCH SGRATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED 001216. 1906.

n. c. THE mamas PETERS cm. WASHINGTON,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO THOMAS R. MILLIGAN AND WILLIAM M. THOM, OFMANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MATCH-SCRATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed October 15, 1906. $erial No. 339,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS R. MILLIGAN and WIL LIAM M. THOM, citizensof the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsboroand State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Match-Scratchers; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in devices upon which to scratchmatches to ignite the same, and it has for its object the production ofa device of this character which shall be inexpensive in production,efficient in service and durable in use, and it consists to this end ina rotary disk of sand paper, or other paper having a roughened surface,and so pivoted that when the head of the match is applied thereto thedisk is caused to revolve, whereby the marking or mar-ring of thesurface'is avoided, and the neat appearance of the article is preservedand its usefulness prolonged. In the use of sandpaper as heretofore employed for this purpose, the same has consisted of a strip of such paperin fixed position, so that when the igniting head of the match wasapplied thereto and drawn thereover the paper is soon discolored andrendered unsightly, due to the streaking of the same in the lighting ofthe matches thereon.

In the mounting of our improved revolving ignition disk we provide asuitable mounting case, preferably of card board hemispherical in formto the lower porthe lower portion of the back or mounting piece 2 by asuitable eyelet 3. When the head of a match is applied to the roughenedsurface of the disk 1., the frictional contact causes the disk torevolve a short distance before the head is lighted, which contact doesnot disfigure the roughened surface of the disk nor mar the same byleaving black streaks thereon, as is the case where the roughenedsurface is held stationary. It will be noted that the upper surface ofthe disk supporting base 2 affords a convenient place for advertisingmatter and one in which such matter readily catches the eye of theperson using the device.

It has been found in practice that a slight touch of the head of a matchto the revolving disk will cause is not drawn across the roughenedsurface of the disk, the marking or marring of the surface of the sameis avoided, and its appearance is thereby preserved and its usefulnessprolonged.

The structure is susceptible of being manufactured at a minimum of costand, as hereinbefore stated, is one of great utility for the purpose forwhich it is de signed.

While for the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown thesame in its preferred form of o1n bodiment, yet we do not desire to belimited thereto, as the same is susceptible of changes in form andarrangement without departure from the scope of our invention asdescribed herein and defined in the concluding claims. I

Having thus described our invention what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is A device upon which to scratch matches comprising a revolvingmember adapted to be moved by the frictional contact of the head of amatch when applied thereto, con sisting of a disk having a roughenedface, a back or support therefor and a pivotal connection between suchback and disk whereon the disk may be revolved.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS R. MILLIGAN. WILLIAM M. THOM.

Witnesses HARRY W. SPAULDING, Mosns Srmnnrnn.

the ignition of the match, and as the head of the match

